(Skip to the 0:45 mark to see a guy get arm-barred and heel-hooked AT THE SAME DAMN TIME. Props: AXS TV Fights)
Hip Show calls itself “two-on-two arena fighting,” but it’s more like American Gladiators meets a Russian dashcam-brawl. Instead of two guys fighting on a flat surface (borrrrrring!), it’s four guys fighting in a room full of platforms and obstacles. Seriously, this thing is absolutely insane.
CagePotato has been a longtime supporter of MMA’s freak scene, and we’re proud to announce that we’ll be the instant-replay sponsor for Hip Show’s North American television debut, March 14th on AXS TV. The broadcast will feature highlights from the league’s previous Russian events, and will be hosted by two of our old friends, Cyrus Fees and Casey Oxendine. Check out the official announcement below, which was released by AXS TV exclusively to CagePotato last night…
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AXS TV FIGHTS ACQUIRES RUSSIAN MMA ‘HIP SHOW: ARENA COMBAT’ FOR A ‘BEST OF’ SPECIAL AIRING FRIDAY, MARCH 14 AT 10 P.M. ET (7 P.M. PT)
Los Angeles, February 19, 2014 – The world of mixed martial arts officially gets bigger, as AXS TV FIGHTS acquires the Russian two-on-two arena fighting show HIP SHOW: ARENA COMBAT for a “best of” special. The two-hour program makes its North American TV debut on Friday, March 14 at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) and will include the best fights from the show’s season one lightweight and middleweight tournaments and championship finals.
HIP SHOW: ARENA COMBAT is a two-on-two competition that takes place on a battleground aptly named “The Arena.” “The Arena” includes five different obstacles that present a realistic, urban-style of combat. Fighters look to score points through striking, grappling and controlling the obstacles. The HIP SHOW: ARENA COMBAT tournaments are contested in the 70 kilogram lightweight (about 154 pounds) and 80 kilogram middleweight (about 176 pounds) weight classes, and in a round robin format.
Internationally renowned ring announcer Cyrus Fees delivers the play-by-play and MMA veteran and coach Casey Oxendine provides color commentary throughout the program. Said Fees, “There’s nothing like making history, and I truly believe this will blow the minds of the North American MMA fan.”
“HIP SHOW: ARENA COMBAT is the craziest MMA based event I’ve ever seen. Once you watch the preview clip [Ed. note: We’ve embedded it at the top of the post] you will understand why we are so excited to bring this competition to North American television,” said AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon.
ABOUT HIP SHOW: ARENA COMBAT
Hip Show is a Russian-based show, owned by the ProRock organization. Originated in 2012, Hip Show broadcast its first season to record ratings in Russia. Gaining unprecedented success on Russian television and receiving over a million Internet views, Hip Show produced a second season and has been green-lit for a third in Russia. The show is currently broadcast to an audience of over 14.5 million across Europe and Asia. Hip Show can be found online, on Facebook and on Twitter.
ABOUT AXS TV FIGHTS
AXS TV Fights presents more LIVE mixed martial arts and kickboxing events than any other television network with 40+ LIVE world-class fight cards each year. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world champion Pat Miletich call all the action as champions, challengers, and top prospects take center stage every Friday night at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. AXS TV Fights can be found online, on Facebook and on Twitter. AXS TV is widely distributed in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other cable, satellite and telco providers. The network is also carried in Canada and the Caribbean.
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Be sure to watch the action on March 14th, and stay tuned to CagePotato for more exclusive coverage on Hip Show, as the world’s greatest two-on-two MMA league continues its Westward expansion.